Sunday, May 05, 2013

In solidarity

by digby

I got this from Paul Ryan's challenger, Rob Zerban, in last year's congressional election. It seemed like something worth passing on:

Sometimes, it's hard for us to imagine what life might have been like a hundred years ago. Without television, without the internet, without air conditioning. But there is a lot more that we take for granted than just these modern creature comforts.

127 years ago today, the Governor of Wisconsin ordered the National Guard to fire upon a crowd of 14,000 workers who had gathered for one simple demand: that their workday be shortened to only 8 hours of physical labor. Seven people died that day and several more were injured in what would come to be known as the Bay View Massacre.

Over the course of the week, there would be several more demonstrations around the country in places like New York, Chicago, and Cincinnati. The battle over the 8 hour workday would last another 30 years and cost many more lives. But, their sacrifice bought us more time to spend with our families and to live our lives our way.

Today, I'll stand with scores of union members and Milwaukee residents to commemorate this moment of history and honor those that stood against an oppressive governor. All I ask today is that you take a minute to remember their sacrifice when you head home from work tomorrow.